Tam O'Shanter at Dunfermline galleries turns 200-years-old

Tam, who sits in the gardens of Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries (DCLG) with his old friend Souter Johnnie, was carved by sculptor Robert Forrest in 1823.

The statue is understood to have been the first in a series of popular literary figures to be modeled by the stonemason. It was closely followed by fellow Robert Burns character Souter Johnnie and Allan Ramsay's Symon and Bauldy, from The Gentle Shepherd.

Symon and Bauldy's statues are under the care of OnFife but, due to their poor condition, are stored in the Collections Centre at Bankhead in Glenrothes.

They were all part of a four-statue group known as the Stone Men of Saline and had been in a garden in Kirklands House in Saline since the 19th century.

The group was purchased in 2010 and Tam O'Shanter and Souter Johnnie were installed at the DCLG garden in 2017.

Gordon Ashley, an Australian with a specialty in 19th century Scottish sculpture, picked up on the upcoming birthday during a recent visitor to the library.

He said: “In 1823, the brilliant Scottish stonemason-sculptor Robert Forrest commenced a project to carve a series of popular Scottish literary figures from the works of Ramsay, Burns and Scott.

"He chose Burns’ Tam O’Shanter, Souter Johnny and Wee Davock; Ramsay’s Simon and Bauldy; and Scott’s Cuddy Headrigg."

Tam o'Shanter (left) and Souter Johnnie (right) were sculpted by Robert Forrest in the 19th century. They now sit in the gardens of Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries (Image: OnFife)

He continued: “As each were then much-loved, familiar figures in Scottish literature and imagination, Forrest believed he could use the public’s affection for them to depict in a convincing way how facial expressions communicate human emotions, despite all the difficulties of trying to achieve it in grainy sandstone."

He said that Tam was one of six figures completed by Forrest in 1823 because of two large commissions at the time, the Melville Monument for St Andrew Square in Edinburgh and the John Knox statue in Glasgow.

Mr Ashley added: “It was only after Forrest completed Knox that he found the time to return to his fascination for using sculpture to communicate the way in which we express our emotions – from joy and elation through to fear and terror.

“As we might expect, he completed Tam’s 'ancient, trusty, drouthy cronie', Souter Johnny – the dry, laconic, raconteur of hilarious tales – before he turned his attention to Simon and Bauldy, Wee Davock and Cuddy Headrigg.

“Forrest almost certainly completed all six statues by early 1828 when he began working on the four huge equestrian statues – Robert the Bruce, Queen Mary, the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Wellington – with which he opened his Calton Hill exhibition in July 1832.”

A new interpretation panel will soon be installed by OnFife near the statues so visitors can learn more about their history.